Tilting croquet



Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES APATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to the well-known game of croquet, and especially to game-boards known as miniature croquet, or parlor-croquet, though this may more speciiically be termed hand-croquet, or tilting croquet, inasmuch as the game-board is to be tilted by a hand or hands of the player for causing the ball or rolling game-piece to roll in all directions desired by the respective players.

The main object or purpose of this invention is to provide the game-field with a marginal hazard or trap and with intermarginal or intermediary hazards which are so near to the goals that they test the skill of the players in avoiding or shunning the hazards while negotiating the respective goals, and which (by retaining the ball in the hazards) eliminates any question as to the ball having encountered a hazard when it has done so.

Another object is to provide this kind of a gameboard with a marginal wall that extends above the marginal groove orhazard to a sufficient height to hold up the thumbs or fingers lof players outv of the way j of. the ball when entering the marginal hazard, which wall also forms the higher and outer wall of the marginal groove so as to prevent the ball from rolling outward beyond the marginal groove.

Another object is to provide a game board of this kind that can very easily be made by a mechanic of moderate ability without the use of special machinery or tools and at a very low cost.

Another object is to provide a modified form of the invention that can be formed of a single blank of sheet metal or other stiff material, by means of special dies, for effecting quantity production of these devices at a very low cost.

Other objects and important features are pointed out or implied in the following details of description, in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a simple form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of a modified form of the invention, the section being along different lines one of which is central, the righthand side being omitted for scarcity of drawing space and to avoid duplication of similar parts.

Referring to the drawing in detail, in which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts in the several views, the invention is described in detail as follows:

In Figs. 1 and 2 a rectangular board 5 has its upper surface substantially plane and smooth and piercedby wickets 6 (which may be arranged as shown or in any appropriate way) so as to con-- stitute a game-field on which any appropriate kind and size of ball 'I may roll in any direction according to the respective tilts elected by the f players. End-posts 8 are also provided and pierce the board so as to be held thereby in such positions with respect to the wickets, as may be predetermined. The upper marginal edge of the board is rabbeted or chamfered at 9, and immediately around this chamfered or depressed margin, a marginal wall I0 is secured by any appropriate means so as to combine with the depressed Vmargin to form a continuous groove (being the higher outer wall of this groove) which iconstitutes a trap or hazard to catch and hold the ball when the player is not skillful enough to prevent it. The wall l0 is so high above the inner wall of the groove 9, that a thumb or finger of the player may extend over the marginal groove withj out interfering with the rolling of the ball or game-piece into the marginal groove.

The plane upper surface of the game-board is :also grooved at VI I and I2 (in Figs. 1 and 2) to provide intermediary hazards which preferably (not essentially) terminate in the marginal groove 9 and extend to points near the respective goals so as to increase the diiliculty of avoiding or shunning the grooves While trying to negotiate the goals, thereby training the player for increasing his skill and caution. l

In the modified form shown in Fig. 3, the parts 5a, 6a, la, 8a, 9a,` Illa, Ila, and |20., correspond respectively to the parts 5, 6, 1, 8, 9, l0, Il and l2 of Fig. l, while the part 6b is dilerent, being formed of two curved tongues that are struck-up from the slots I2a and meet at their upper ends to form each wicket of the middle row; the wicket 6a being formed of a single tongue struck up from one of the slots Ila and bent so that its free end meets the floor of the game-field 5a. The endposts 8a are struck up from slots similar to those at IZa, all the slots being of the same width and being narrower than the ball so that the latter cannot pass therethrough, but will be retained or retarded therein the same as in the grooves 9, Il and l2, so these slots are equivalent to the grooves as traps or hazards, these slots being so narrow in proportion to the balls diameter that the ball will roll out of the slot and proceed when the game-board is tilted to a suflicient slant. However, it is within the scope of this invention to emboss or impress or mold grooves, in this modified form of the invention, in lieu of the slots or in addition thereto. In this thin stii plate construction the margin is embossed or concavo-convexed, whether pressed or molded into the embossed form being a matter of choice of the manufacturer; so the term embossed is herein employed as a broad term that describes the form shown in Fig. 3, in contradistinction to that of Fig. 2.

On either or any form of the invention, I may provide a knob or central supporting element I3, of any appropriate material, secured by any appropriate means, and removably or permanently secured in place; and this may be used as a handle and constitute the only means of supporting and tilting the game-board by a hand of the player; or it may be used only as-apivotal rest to sustain the weight of the game-board on a table while the hand or hands of a player grasp only a marginal part of thegame-board, for tilting it from one approximately horizontal position to another.

In playing a game of croquet with this gameboard and ball, the respective .players place the ball on the board while the latter is held up with either hand or both ends, or while the knob I3 rests on a table; and now, while the board is held substantially horizontal, it is tilted slightly in different directions, according to the directions it is desired that the ball shall roll towards the respective wickets or goals, and according to the hazards to be shunned. The gamemay progress as is usual in croquet, oraccording to any other rules the players may agree upon.- The manufacturer or players may write or print numerals or symbols, as value-indications adjacent to the different goals and hazards, andmay use these in summing up the scores of thegames. Assume, for instance, that each one of the ve intermediary wickets counts one (l),v and that each one of the marginal wickets and each post counts two (2) (being nearer the hazards), sothat the total count of the board. is 11, the player who rst makes 11 points is the'winner; but whoever lets the ball'roll into one of the .hazards is discolmted or fined one point (or more) for each or knocked.

occurrence, and the player vacates in favor of his opponent in case the ball gets into the marginal hazard. This rule of the game is only suggestive of the many and various rules that may be applied in croquet and in other board and 5 rolling ball games; the interesting and distinctive feature of the game being that the ball rolls towards a hazard whenever it rolls on the gameboard, so the player must constantly be alert and active in tilting the board properly and precisely 10 so as to negotiate the goals and shun the hazards.

Though these forms of the invention are especially adapted to croquet, the invention is applicable to a number of other games in which the wickets and posts may be substituted by other l5 goals such as bases, batters stand, catchers stand, etc., and the hazards may register foul, strike, orrout; or in golf, the wickets may be replaced by holes, and the hazards apply as is usual in golf. Therefore, the invention is limited only by 20 the following claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

An integrally formed tiltable croquet board comprising a stiff embossed sheet having a continuous marginal groove constituting a hazard 2,5 and formed with a continuous marginal inner wall and outer wall, the outer wall being higher than the inner wall, this croquet board having slots through its intermediate parts, said slots constituting hazards and being disposed at points r3.9 surrounded by and spaced from the marginal groove, and wickets formed of strips which are struck up from the said slots and integral with said sheet and located at the respective slots in position to be negotiated by a game-piece which 35 rolls on the croquet board when propelled by gravity as the croquet board is tilted, said slots being narrower than the game piece, and adapted to receive and retain or retard the game piece while permitting it to move out ofany of said slots when the board'is tilted further or jerked ERNEST C. ALLEN.l 

